Brighton Students’ Union met yesterday and renewed its commitment to oppose moves to charge up to £9,000 a year tuition fees from next year.
The opposition to tuition fees is combined with a commitment to fight higher education spending cuts being brought in by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat government.
The proposal was put forward by Brighton Students Against Cuts which also won the union’s backing when it urged students to support any future strikes by lecturers.
The annual general meeting of the University of Brighton Students’ Union also agreed to encourage the university
- to promote wider access to higher education
- cut ties with the National Union of Students until the end of the academic year to maintain its independence
- ensure that students are not described as “consumers”
- boycott “all Israeli goods produced on illegal settlements”
A statement issued by Brighton Students Against Cuts said: “We’re very proud that this academic year started with University of Brighton’s first ever occupation and ended with tangible and significant victories within our students’ union.
“Looking to next academic year, with a politicised students’ union and the fact that the effects of the government’s funding cuts will start to be felt by students in their everyday lives, we’re excited to see what can be achieved in the resistance to the marketisation of higher education.”
